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1.
The first time Tim gets rid of a bug, is when they first start dating. He is coming into to pick her up for a date and when he walks in he finds Lucy on the counter.
“Um,” he says looking at her with furrowed brows. “What are you doing?” Lucy takes a deep breath and then points to a bug, a coach roach crawling across the floor.
“Can you get it and let it go?” She asks. Tim stares at her at little bewildered wondering why she would want to save a coach roach but—
He gets a container and traps it and then takes it out into the hall. He looks around drops it on the ground and crushes it with his shoe.
He comes back into the apartment and Lucy is thankfully back on the ground. She smiles at him, and bounces into his arms.
“My hero.” She says leaning up to give him a kiss. He wraps his arms around her, and he wonders how he went all this time without kissing Lucy because quite honestly it’s a slice of heaven.
“Why do you have coach roaches in your apartment anyway?” He asks as she grabs her bag. She shrugs her shoulders, and he makes a mental note to debug her apartment.
“I don’t know.” She says. “But I have my own bug killer now.” She smirks at him, and he takes her hand leading her downstairs.
“Is that all I’m good for?” He asks but he’s smiling. She smirks at him again, and then they are up against his truck.
“I don’t know we haven’t done—other things yet.” She says her hands going up his side. He groans and she is going to be the death of him. She has him in her grip, just like when he crushed that damn coach roach.
And quite honestly he doesn’t mind one bit. Because as long as he’s with Lucy, he knows he will follow her.
And that’s okay with him.
***
2.
The next time Tim kills a bug for Lucy is when she is in the shower. He hears a loud bang and then she is calling his name. He rushes in, and sees her peeking out from behind the curtains.
“What?” He asks. She motions him to come over, and he does. He peeks into the shower and sees a tiny bug.
“It’s a bug.” He says fully. “Just drown it.” Lucy gives him an unimpressed look, and he sighs heavily.
He gets up and gets a cup from the counter, and then captures it. He turns to his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.
“Let it go babe.” She tells. Tim knows he’s not going to do that and leaves the bathroom quickly. He puts the tiny bug down the sink. “See you never.” He mutters.
And he really needs to get Lucy an exterminator why does she have so many damn bugs?
He sighs and he’s about to start cleaning up the kitchen, when Lucy calls his name again. He peaks his head into the bathroom and gives her a look.
“Another bug?” He asks. She shakes her head, and motions him forward. He steps forward a few steps.
“What?”
“It’s really bugging me that you aren’t in the shower with me.” She says. Tim gulps and he’s pulling his clothes off immediately. And then he’s stepping into the shower with, backing her against the wall.
“Well I’m here now.”
“Thank god.” She mutters and suddenly her hands are all over him and all thoughts of bugs have left his mind.
***
3.
The next time Lucy asks him to get a bug for her is when she is sick in bed with the flu.
“Tim!” She calls from her bedroom, and he peeks his head into her bedroom.
“What do you need baby?” He asks. She had been down for the count for the last few days, and he had been helping her along in anyway he could.
“There’s a spider.” She says pointing to a spider on her bedside table. “Can you please capture it and let it go?”
Tim blows out a breath, and does as she asks. He captures the spider and then puts it down the drain before he’s coming back into her bedroom.
“You have too many bugs in your apartment.” He says. Lucy gives him an unimpressed look, and then buries her head into her pillow.
“Thanks.” She says her voice muffled. Tim chuckles and pulls her away from the pillow. “You are the best boyfriend slash exterminator ever.”
“I hope I’m the only one.” He says brushing some hair out of her face.
“You are.” She says.
“Good.” He says and he feels a little bit of pride knowing he has Lucy to himself.
She is his.
He is hers.
“Yeah.” Lucy mutters. Tim shakes his head, and settles himself on the edge of the bed. He brushes some hair from her face again. She was sweaty, and pale, he hates seeing her this sick.
“Go to sleep baby.” He says. “Hopefully you will feel better when you wake up.” Lucy blinks at him, and he can see her eyes are heavy.
“You will be here?” She asks.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He promises her. He picks up her hand and gives it a kiss. “I will get rid of any bugs I see.”
“Mmm thanks.” She mutters her voice heavy with sleep. “You are the best.”
“Thanks Luce.” He mutters as she slowly falls asleep. He pulls the covers over, gives her a kiss and tiptoes out of the room.
And maybe he catches another bug or two while she’s asleep.
And maybe he really needs to get her an exterminator.
***
4.
The next time Lucy has Tim kill a bug for her, is a few days after Nolan’s wedding. And now that she knows he kills them and doesn’t just let them go, he feels a little more confident in catching them.
She’s sitting in the living room, and he’s in her room getting ready for bed when he hears a loud yelp. He runs out but he already has a feeling he knows what this is.
A spider
Sure enough there is a spider crawling across the coffee table. Lucy is on top of the sofa, and he just gives her a look, picks up a book and smashes the damn thing.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” She says sounding aghast and really he shouldn’t be surprised that she is so offended by this.
“It was a bug.” He says shaking his head at her. Lucy moves back to the couch and crosses her arms and glares at him.
“What if he had a family? Oh my god! Some spider wife is out there with her two spider children waiting for her spider husband to come back! And now he won’t!” Lucy says following him with her eyes.
Tim stares at her a little bewildered and he thinks if there is a spider family out there she would want him to get rid of it. “Well I will I can go and find this spider family and end the problem.”
“You are a monster!” She says almost angrily. Tim rolls his eyes and bends down to give her a kiss.
“You love me.” He says dropping a kiss to her lips. “You said it, you can’t take it back.” She shoves at his chest but she’s smiling as he pulls her up into his chest.
“Yeah.” She says relaxing into his arms. “I guess you are okay.” Tim chuckles pressing a kiss into her hair, and then backing her towards the bedroom.
“Just in case the spider family is watching us.” He whispers.
“Good call.” She replies and he kicks the door shut. All thoughts of spider families gone.
***
5.
The next time Lucy has Tim kill a bug is when they are at his house for once. He’s in the kitchen getting dinner ready, and he glances over at Lucy who is picking up the living room.
“You don’t have to do that.” He tells her coming around the kitchen counter. She shrugs her shoulders, and kneels down to open a box that Genny had dropped off.
“What’s in here anyway?” She asks him. He shrugs his shoulders and comes over and kneels next to her.
“Probably just junk.” He says. He has a feeling it’s stuff from his childhood, stuff that he pushed away and put out of his mind.
Lucy hesitates and looks over at him, “Can I open it?” She asks. He nods his head, and she slowly opens the box. He peers in and sees some books, a few toys, and some pictures. Lucy reaches in to pull out a picture and then immediately yanks her hand back.
“Bugs!” She yelps jumping up and moving away from the box. Tim raises his eyebrows and peers in the box. He sees a bunch of cobwebs and a bunch of ants in the bottom.
“I got it baby.” He says and he dumps the contents on the ground (which he knows he will regret later), and takes the box outside and shakes it out. And then he goes back and grabs some bug spray he had gotten for Lucy’s apartment and sprays the box down.
He throws the box to the curb, and then heads back inside the house and gives Lucy a satisfied smile.
“There!” He says. But Lucy shakes her head and points at the ground, where there’s a circle of ants now on his floor.
“Shit.”
“Bug spray.” She says. “Spray them Tim. Ants get everywhere and fast!” Tim sprays them and the area, and then gathers the contents of the box up.
Lucy helps him and picks up a picture. “Oh.” She says softly. “Is that you?” He peers over her shoulder. It’s a picture of him, Genny and his mom. He was about 15 in the picture but he looked so small. He could see a bruise on his cheek.
“Yeah.” He says softly. Lucy turns to look at him, tucking the picture aside.
“You were cute.” She says.
“Just cute?” He asks raising his eyebrows. Lucy looks down at the picture again and runs her fingers across teenage Tim’s face. And then she cups his face in her hands.
“No.” She says. “Strong. And brave.” Tim blinks at her, momentarily stunned by her words. He never thought of him that way when he was a teen.
He felt weak, insignificant and lonely all thanks to his father.
“I—how do you know that?” He asks. She shrugs her shoulders, and taps the picture.
“I can see it.” She says softly. “And I can see it now.” She taps his chest and he captures her fingers and presses a kiss to them.
Tim takes the picture from her, looks at it and then puts it aside. And wraps his arms around her.
“Have I told you I love you?” He asks swaying her a little.
“Yes.” She says. “But say it again.” He leans in to kiss her, and then puts his lips against her ear.
“I love you.” He whispers and she sighs happily.
“I love you too.”
***
+1
The next time Tim gets rid of something—it’s not a bug but in his opinion something much, much worse—a rat.
They are at his house, she had officially moved in a couple days before and they were just finishing unpacking all her stuff.
Tim moves over to the kitchen, and brings some of the stuff with him. He is just opening his cabinets when he hears a blood curdling scream.
“TIM!” Lucy yells and he runs into the living room, to find Lucy on top of the coffee table.
“What?” He asks bewildered. Lucy turns to look at him, and then he feels something brush against his leg and he yelps. He looks down to see a rat running across the floor.
Well shit.
“Get it out!” Lucy squeaks from the table. Tim sighs and he really doesn’t know how to get the rat out.
Nasty, dirty things.
He goes to the kitchen and grabs a broom just as he sees the rat run to the front of the house. He gives Lucy a look, and goes after it. He uses the broom to move it towards the front door and then he opens it and ushers it out. He watches it scurry off into the bushes and he sighs running his fingers through his hair.
“It’s gone Lucy!” He calls and a few seconds later she’s joining him in the entry way.
“I wish I had a video of that.” She says a smile on her face. Tim rolls his eyes towards the ceiling, and then pulls her into his chest.
“Next time I will just leave it in here.” Tim says into her hair. He feels Lucy shudder, and she looks up at him a soft smile on her face now.
“Thank you for getting it out.” She says. “And always killing the bugs too.” Tim snorts a little and remembers all the times he came to her rescue.
Not that he minded.
Not even one bit.
“Of course.” He says. “Even if you do bring rats into the house.” Lucy scoffs at him and hits his chest playfully.
“I didn’t bring it in.” She says indignantly.
“It wasn’t here before you got here.” Tim says teasingly. “So—”
“Oh shut up!” She says scowling at him. Tim lets out a little laugh and bends down to kiss her.
“I will always get all the rats and bugs out of the house.” He says. “Just for you.” Lucy’s face softens and she stands on her toes to kiss him.
“My hero.” She says. “Bug and rat killer. What could be better?” Tim laughs and gives her another kiss mentally making a note he will need to get rat traps.
“Hey,” Lucy nudges him. “Finish unpacking or take a break?” Tim looks down at her, and a smile spreads across his face.
“Break now.” He says and Lucy grins, as she tugs on his hand and leads him to the sofa. There’s still a couple of boxes that need to unpack but for now—
Tim sits down on the sofa, and Lucy curls into his side, and despite the rat fiasco this is perfect and everything he needs at the moment.